From active-shooter training to giving tours, election officials throughout the state are taking new steps to keep poll workers and the public safe and reassure voters of the integrity of Colorado’s ballot-counting process amid the most vitriolic presidential election in recent memory.

Despite a lack of verified or public threats of disruption, some law enforcement agencies also are beefing up in preparation for the final push Tuesday, while activist groups say they have and will continue to keep close tabs on voting centers.

An Associated Press-GfK poll last week found Trump’s claims of a “rigged” election have taken root among most of his supporters, a theme that has emerged in Colorado and prompted worries of possible altercations. One in five voters in a University of Denver poll released Wednesday said a victory by Democrat Hillary Clinton is “not legitimate,” meaning they would not accept the results on Election Day.

“We’re providing tours, pretty much on demand, if people come in and are concerned,” Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Sheila Reiner said Wednesday. “We will take them in and show them how we are processing ballots. One of the people who came in last week wanted to know why we were tearing up ballots in the back. We’re not actually doing that.”

She added: “We’ve had more watchers already than we’ve ever had in Mesa County. It’s been a new experience for us.”

Early voting at polling locations in Colorado started Oct. 24, and no major disruptions have been reported. But election officials and observers say they are keeping close tabs on what’s happening at polling centers throughout the state and are prepared for anything that might come up.

Far fewer people are expected to actually vote in person this cycle thanks to Colorado’s first-ever mail-ballot presidential race in which more than 1.5 million votes have already been cast. Ballots were mailed Oct. 17 and voters could either mail them back or drop them off. Because some voters may still plan to fill out and submit ballots in person, counties and election judges have been preparing to handle all kinds of scenarios.

Law enforcement throughout the Denver area contacted by The Denver Post say they are planning to monitor different polling sites, with most declining to discuss specific security plans. The Denver Police Department says additional supervisory officers will be available should any trouble arise.

“We typically have officers that are assigned to each polling station within Denver. We will do that this year,” said John White, a Denver police spokesman. “We do have a bit of an enhanced operational plan for this election due to some of the coverage our two presidential candidates have received across the country. We’re hoping for the best, but we are certainly prepared to address any issues that arise.”

The Denver Clerk and Recorder’s Office began providing active-shooter training to its election judges more than a year ago. County Clerk Debra Johnson said the decision wasn’t made in response to the rhetoric in this year’s presidential race, but more to align her department with others in Denver that had undergone the same preparation.

“It’s just about safety, it’s about the safety of election judges,” Johnson said while touring a polling center at the Highland Recreation Center. “I cannot say that I’ve ever experienced an election where a candidate is calling it ‘rigged’ or saying that people are throwing (away) mail ballots. That does heighten everyone’s awareness. We try to be prepared for every election, regardless of the rhetoric of the time.”

Johnson says the biggest disturbance so far has only been a tent blowing away at a ballot drop-off site.

Election judges in Arapahoe County also received similar “active threat” training before this year’s election as well as guidance to stay alert and report any suspicious activity to authorities. County Clerk Matt Crane says he has been in closer contact with law enforcement than in years past.

“We’ve seen the rhetoric at a little bit higher pitch than before,” said Crane, who also is president of Colorado’s County Clerks Association. “We take the approach that it’s always better to be safe than sorry.”

To quash any controversy, election officials and those involved in the voting process have worked hard to reassure Coloradans that the state’s process is rock-solid. Secretary of State Williams has done interview upon interview about security and integrity at the polls, and authorities say election-related offenses — such as voter fraud and voter intimidation — are very rare.

“I’ve lost track of how many rotary clubs I’ve spoken with and how many tours I’ve given,” said Merlin Klotz, clerk and recorder in Douglas County.

Carly Koppes, Weld County’s clerk and recorder, said she has fielded many calls from concerned voters wanting to know more about the integrity of Colorado’s election process.

“I haven’t had anybody get really upset with me or be rude or inconsiderate,” she said. “We’ve been able to talk through the process. They have been very willing to listen to what we do.”

The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado called 30,000 people as part of a telephone town hall to answer questions from first-time voters. About 4,000 people stayed on the call to ask about rights and processes.

“Some people expressed concern about voter fraud,” said Denise Maes, the organization’s public policy director. “We wanted to kind of calm some of those fears.”

Rudy Gonzales, co-chair of the Denver chapter of the Colorado Latino Forum, said his organization as well as its affiliates will be working to ensure, specifically, that minority voters aren’t intimidated or influenced at voting sites.

“We are going to be very vigilant about that come Election Day,” he said. “I’m sure there are a lot of organizations that are going to be doing a lot of work that day watching for inappropriate behavior.”

Eileen O’Brien, a supervisor at the Highland Recreation Center polling center in northwest Denver, said there have been no problems at her site. Still, she’s concerned about the possibility of a confrontation with someone electioneering within 100 feet of the polling place or wearing clothing supporting a candidate while heading in to cast their vote.

“I think there’s a part of me that thinks it could get to be a testy issue,” she said as people trickled in to vote Wednesday, “and I’m hoping it’s not.”

Politics reporter. He has worked at The Denver Post since the summer of 2014, covering cops, courts, politics, environment, skiing and everything in between. He loves telling stories about Colorado's mountain towns and the Eastern Plains and wants to make sure our newspaper's great work extends into their communities.

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Welcome to The Spot, where The Denver Post’s politics team captures what’s happening this week — from the Colorado legislature to Denver city hall, with a stop through the halls of Congress in Washington, D.C.